Liquid-distributing device



{N0 Model.)

' L. W; BITTING.

LIQUID DISTRIBUTING DEVIGB.

No. 563,645. Patented July 7, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Erica,

LIQUID-DISTRIBUTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,645, dated July '7, 1896.

Application filed September 26 1895. Serial No. 563.684. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS IV. BITTING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid Distrib uting Devices, of which the following is a specification My invention relates generally to the class of desk implements variously designed to distribute mucilage upon surfaces intended to be rendered adhesive, or to distribute water upon surfaces already gummed, as in dampening the flaps of envelops preparatory to closing the same.

It is the object of my invention, generally stated, to provide a device of the foregoing character of a simple, novel and inexpensive construction, which shall not only be very efficient in. operation, but shall avoid certain objections incident to the use of such apparatus as heretofore arranged,and, specifically, to provide a distributing device in the nature of a hollow container provided with a basal outlet closed by a mass of porous material, in connection. with a hollow support adapted to rest upon a desk or table and to support the container in such position that the liquid contents of said container will always he in contact with said porous material to maintain the latter in a saturated condition,and especially a support of the foregoing character when made with a reservoir compartment from which the container may be from time to time replenished.

In the accompanying drawings I show, and herein I describe, a good form of a convenient embodiment of my invention, the particular subject-matter claimed as novel beinghereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings,

Figures 1 and 2 are respectivelycentral vertical sectional elevational views of two forms of my improved apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings,

A is my improved container and B my improved support used in combination therewith.

The container as shown consists of a tube with an opening a or bulb of any suitable material,glass bein g preferred as aifording a visual indication of the condition of its contents,-provided intermediate of its height with a circumferential rib or enlargement a, and at its bottom The wall of the container is, in the vicinity of the opening a provided with an in wardl yextending rib or ribs a, and within said opening is mounted a plug 0 of very porous material such as sponge, said plug being nor mally of slightly greater diameter than the exit opening a so that when compressed and forced within said opening its upper portion expanding above the rib a will retain the plug in position with all necessary firmness.

In the form of my apparatus shown in Figure 1 the container is shown as a bulb of glass imperforate except for the exit opening a In the form shown in Figure 2, however, the container is as to its upper portion provided with an open bottle-neck o? in which is seated a cork or stopper a As will be understood, when it is desired to refill the container of Figure l, the sponge mustbe removed before and replaced after such re-fillin in re-filling the container of Figure 2, however, the cork, as opposed to the sponge, is to be removed and replaced.

In the form of my invention shown in Figure 2, the support Bis shown as a hollow open topped structure of the form of a truncated cone, of such proportions in relation to the container that the rib a of the latter is adapted to rest upon its mouth, and the container itself to depend as to its lower portion withimbut clear of the floor of said support. The interior of said support constitutes a container chamber B In the form of my device shown in Figure 1, the support B is shown as double walled so to speak, so as to form between the inner wall Z) in which the container chamber is formed,and the outer wall h',a reservoir compartment D. The two walls of the sup port are so related to each other that the container chamber and the reservoir compartment are out of communication with each other. In the outer wall b of the support is formed an opening 11' closed by a stopper 5 through which opening the contents of the IOO reservoir compartment may be poured into the container, or said compartment itself be replenished when empty.

As will be understood, in my improved apparatus the container is always normally maintained in a position in which its liquid contents are in contact with the porous material, with the two-fold result that the liquid within the pores of said material is, if it be of a mucilageneous character and naturally liable to harden, thus prevented from caking or hardening,and that the porous material, being thus maintained in a saturated condition, is always in readiness .for immediate use without the necessity for any preliminary manipulation of said porous material to bring the liquid to its external surface.

The improvement which consists in pro vidi-ng the container as in Figure 2, with a stoppered opening, through which said container may be filled, obviating the necessity of removing the saturated sponge, is one of considerable practical value.

By means of the support provided with a reservoir compartment, as in Figure l, a constant supply of liquid is present convenient to the hand of the user, and the container, which is of small dimensions to be convenient to handle and use, maybe quickly and easily replenished as often as required.

In the construction of my improved coniainer, the rib C6 is formed as a flexure in the glass wall of said container, the wall substance of the container being of uniform thickness throughout,as opposed to a construction which has heretofore been resorted to, in which a small circumferential rib is formed as a solid bead on the surface of the glass. My improved container may therefore be formed by the ordinary operation of blowing, whereby its cheapness of production is greater than that of the other construction referred to.

My improved container is in its preferred form so arranged that its upper portion above the rib, is heavier than its lower portion, with the result that when the container is in use and is laid on the desk of the user, it will rest upon the crest of its rib and its rounded top, withthe result that the saturated sponge will be supported in position above the surface of the desk and be prevented from coming into contact wit-h and saturating the same.

My improved support, as shown in the preferred form of my invention in Figure 1, is formed as an integral body of glass, which may be completely formed by the ordinary operation of blowing. It is therefore not only inexpensive in construction but is strong, and, in operation, when its contents are being poured out, the liquid will not emerge from any accidentally open joints and fall upon the users fingers or desk.

Having thus described my invention, I

; Claim 1. A liquid distributing device consisting of a tube or bulb provided at its lower end with an opening closed by a porous mass, an d provided with a circumferential rib interme diate of its length of uniform thickness with and formed as'a fiexure in the wall of the container, the position of said ribbeing such that when the container is laid 011 its side it will rest on said rib and its upper end and support its porous material above the surface on which the container rests, in combination with a support having an open mouth on the edge or which the rib of the container rests to sup port said container in upright position, substantially as set forth.

2. A liquid distributing device consisting of a tube or bulb provided with an opening at its lower end closed by a mass of porous material and with a circumferential rib or enlargement intermediate of its height, and of a support consisting of a bulbous reservoir vessel the top or upper wall of which is depressed down into the interior of the vessel to form a recess which receives the lower por tion of the container and upon the edge of which recess the rib of the container seats it- In the presence of- J. BONSALL TAYLOR, F. NOR-MAN DIXON, THos. K. LANCASTER. 

